Louise Heading
Student spotlight details
Due to the part-time nature of the Certificate in the History of Art, Louise managed to fit her studies around caring for her young family. She now plans to progress onto our Diploma in the History of Art, with a view to securing a job in the arts sector.
'I started the Certificate in the History of Art when my youngest child started school. Prior to having children, I taught English as a Foreign Language, mainly in Italy, but stopped working when I had kids. Living in Italy had given me the opportunity to see lots of wonderful Renaissance art and when I was pregnant for the first time, I enrolled on a lecture series at the National Gallery to find out more about the background to the paintings and sculptures I had seen. This sparked an interest in the stories behind the art, how they came to be and what they meant at the time. Italian art has always been my passion but further short courses introduced me to a much wider range of time periods and genres. As the time approached for my youngest child to start school, I started to think seriously about studying at degree level to really deepen my understanding and engagement with the subject. A search for suitable courses led me to Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education and the Certificate course.
'The programme has been a fascinating introduction to Art History. My BA was in Classical Studies and I have really enjoyed revisiting the classical world in the context of how it inspired subsequent generations, most notably in the Renaissance. The course covers a wide time scale – from antiquity to the present day – and the open nature of the essay questions allows students to choose artists or areas they have a particular interest in. There is plenty of variety on the course, and areas which initially seemed less familiar have ended up being some of the most fascinating and enjoyable units.
'The tutors are knowledgeable and engaging and lessons are good fun, as well as informative. Meeting other people with similar passions has been a highlight and the fact that everyone has different tastes and interests makes for very enlightening discussions.
'Lessons and assignments are challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Discussing the myriad of ways one can view an art work has really changed the way I now look at objects and I notice how much deeper my appreciation is when I visit galleries and exhibitions. Following on from the Certificate, I plan on studying for the Diploma, after which I hope to find employment within the arts or heritage sector.
'The course requires a substantial amount of time for studying but it fits in perfectly with my family commitments (my children are both at primary school) and I have found it allows me time to also volunteer at a local gallery. I would highly recommend the course to anyone who wants a stimulating and enjoyable challenge, and you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful city in which to study!'
